Eddie Esses
In a year that will long be remembered as a turning point in our community’s civic life, the Sephardic Community Federation (SCF) led an extraordinary effort to mobilize, register, and empower the Syrian Sephardic community as never before. What began as a bold voter registration drive this summer evolved into a historic show of unity and influence that has now firmly established our community as a powerful voice in New York politics.
From Vision to Historic Results
The voter registration campaign was spearheaded by Haim Dabah, Marshall Aronow, and Jimmy Salame alongside Senator Sam Sutton and SCF leaders Ronnie Tawil, Eddie Esses, Joey Saban, Joe Mansour, Charles Chakkalo, and Sari Setton. They worked alongside the ground team led Linda Ebani and Rebecca Harary and a phone baking team led by Pascale Kamagi. The campaign began with an inspiring meeting in August at Haim Dabah’s home in Deal, NJ. That evening, leaders from our schools, synagogues, and institutions gathered to launch what would become a movement. Meaningful funding was raised on the spot, and a clear mission was set – to ensure that every member of our community was registered to vote and ready to make their voice heard.
Through tireless coordination and daily meetings, the SCF and its partners carried out a sweeping, multifaceted campaign that included rabbinical proclamations, registration mandates in schools and synagogues, door-to-door outreach, community event tables, and an extensive text-banking program.
The results were truly historic: approximately 15,000 new community members registered to vote, raising the total number of registered community voters from about 25,000 to about 40,000. While an estimated 15,000 community members remain unregistered, the SCF continues its work to reach and register every eligible voter.
Record-Breaking Turnout
The impact of this effort was felt immediately. In the November citywide elections, 43,911 voters turned out in Midwood/Flatbush and our community recorded the large majority of these voters – likely surpassing any previous turnout in our history, including major presidential elections. Total community turnout tripled compared to the previous city election, and our early voting numbers ranked among the top three districts in all of New York City.
The data tells a powerful story: four of the five highest-performing districts for Andrew Cuomo were areas that include our community. This demonstrated beyond doubt that the Sephardic community has become one of the most organized and potent voting blocs in New York. Elected officials across the city and state have taken notice.
Beyond the mayoral race, the community’s influence was reflected strongly as every other SCF endorsed candidate won their race, including Councilmembers Simcha Felder and Inna Vernikov, both longtime friends of our community, as well as Comptroller-elect Mark Levine, a strong ally.
Influence in Action
The strength of our new civic presence became clear just days after the election. On November 5th, when swastikas were found in front of Magen David Yeshivah, State Senator Sam Sutton and District Leader Joey Saban immediately mobilized state leaders and organized a press conference within hours. They were joined by a large group of elected officials – including Governor Kathy Hochul and Senate Deputy Leader Mike Gianaris – who announced $20 million in new security funding for religious schools.
This extraordinary response did not happen by chance. It was the product of over two decades of relationship-building by the SCF and its partners, alongside the hard work of Teach NYS, which was founded by the SCF to advocate for our yeshivot and institutions. This is what real influence looks like – when our voice is heard, our concerns are respected, and tangible results are delivered for our families.
The Road Ahead
The groundwork laid this year will serve as the foundation for the years to come – especially as we look toward the 2026 statewide elections, which will include races for Governor, State Senate, State Assembly, and Congress. With the growing civic infrastructure built by the SCF, and with the possibility of one or two of our own community members appearing on the ballot, the next chapter of our political journey is poised to be even more significant.
The transformation of the Sephardic community’s civic engagement in just a few short months is nothing short of extraordinary. Through the vision of Haim Dabah, Marshall Aronow, and Jimmy Salame, the leadership of the SCF and Linda Ebani, the unity of our institutions and Rabbis, and of course Hashem’s help, our community has demonstrated what is possible when we come together with purpose, strategy, and faith.
Eddie Esses has been extremely active in community political activism for years. He is a board member of SCF and deputy chief of staff to Senator Sam Sutton.